Review: Sea Street Cafe offers unusual, and tasty, touches

Thursday

The breakfast, which came with two poached eggs, each nestled on a homemade mini lobster cake and topped with creamy white lemon-dill sauce, was indeed a good choice. It also was a good-sized meal, as the Benedict ($13.95) was accompanied by a grilled baguette and a choice of home fries or baked beans.

Last time, I had the home fries and they were interesting because they were a colorful blend of diced potatoes from purple to bright orange sweet potato. But they were also overcooked and dry on that previous visit, so I tried the baked beans this time.

They were good – a little sweet for me, but full of flavor, including some spices I could not identify. In the after-breakfast calm, the chef was out in the dining room chatting with guests so I asked him about the beans.

The secret ingredient? Coca-Cola. A common ingredient years ago, the soft drink is found infrequently in recipes these days.

I mention this because those little surprises show up other places, too. Instead of a traditional pale yellow hollandaise sauce, the Cape Cod Benedict had a white lemon sauce dotted with fine, feathery pieces of fresh dill and topped with scallions. The caramelized grapefruit side order ($4.95) was another nice touch.

The lobster cakes were stuffed with chunks of tender lobster This meal was a pleasant surprise since the lunch I’d had with a friend the week before was less of a standout.

On that visit I ordered the Santa Fe Breakfast Wraps ($10.95) because the description sounded good: scrambled eggs, peppers, black beans, roasted corn, tomatoes, onions and pepper jack cheese with a side of chipotle sour cream. But the eggs were soggy and the fillings scarce, making the dish a disappointment.

My friend Robin fared better with the house-made soup and half-sandwich special ($10.95). She had the chicken Caesar wrap, one of four sandwich choices, which she enjoyed. The creamy Caesar dressing was liberally applied so you may want to speak up if you just want a schmear.

The soup was a thick cream of broccoli, thick enough that the spoon stood up on its own. The broccoli was minced. The soup tasted good, but not strongly of broccoli.

When we finished lunch, it was about a half-hour from closing time. We tried to order the daily dessert (blueberry bread pudding) but the server said it was gone, and really the only dessert they had was muffins.

I planned my next visit for earlier in the day.

Some of the muffins did sound good (peach pecan) and Sea Street Cafe’s all-day breakfast menu has some interesting choices, including three French toast choices ($10.50 each): Bananas Foster, salted caramel apple and strawberry amaretto.

The restaurant’s decor is simple and pleasing, with neutral-colored walls and light wainscoting. A wall of windows allows light to flood the room, giving it a cheerful feel. It is the kind of place where you can grab a quick breakfast or sit for a couple of hours over a meal to catch up with friends. I plan to try one of the New England seafood entrees next time.

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